A Beginners Guide To E Cig Batteries

Vaping loves its jargon but believe me – understanding the meaning behind the terminology behind them can make a real difference to finding an electronic cigarette that really suits your needs. They come in all shapes and sizes, yet the primary initial distinction is whether they are a ‘cig-a-like‘ automatic firing battery or manually operated by the press of a button.

While automatic may sound more convenient – they always produce vapour without any unnecessary vaping, the truth is that they are largely outdated in terms of performance. A few manufacturers still produce units that have the functionality of both, yet as we’ll see the demands of a manually operated unit far exceed those of this style of device and being ‘ever ready’ isn’t an option.

Key Universal Features Of Manual Batteries

Manual firing batteries have essentially become the industry standard, from the cheapest pen device all the way through to very powerful specialist devices such as ‘box’ style mods. They are used in conjunction with a screw in tank that contains the liquid/cartridge and then the mouthpiece, with the firing button usually around half way along the batter itself.

To use this style of vapourizer (and we may well refer to 95% of the market) it’s next to universal to simply tap the button five times in swift succession to turn it on, and then holding the button down charges the power through to the atomizer (see below). When inhaled, this unison creates vapour.

Where this style of battery varies is dependent upon the amount of volts it produces, which varies a great deal between products. Increasingly common even in cheaper models is the ability to switch between levels of voltage output depending upon personal choice (more volts=higher battery consumption). Again down really to personal choice, some people prefer different voltages with different e-liquids.

How Voltage Affects Resistance

As mentioned above, higher amounts of voltage places greater heat and pressure on the atomizer to perform. Too little may be an underwhelming vape, too much will swiftly damage the atomizer (usually very cheap to replace, with most users getting through a couple a month). This variation is called resistance.

The trick to getting a consistent vape is to know how many ohms the atomizer is capable of handling. In the vast majority of cases the battery will be matched to the atomizer and the rest of the supplied components, but if replacing tank unit’s it’s good practice to double check compatibility by looking up a free online ohm/v calculator, especially is looking to go sub-ohm that requires a higher performance battery.

Battery Life In A Nutshell

Obviously the more you use the battery the quicker it will deplete, but bear in mind that like all e-cig elements they will slowly deteriorate over time. Fresh from the box a low powered vapestick of 300 mAh capacity will last around 250 puffs or so, whereas a premium 1300 mAh could easily top a thousand. The majority of quality middle market batteries tend to allow for 650 mAh that equates to about 600 puffs – usually satisfactory for over a days use without need for a charge.

A note on charging: Always only use the supplied charging unit (wall mounted or USB) with the battery it is designed for, as while components may screw together they can be dangerously incompatible. Try to remove the battery from charge as soon as it has filled up as otherwise they can become overcharged and dangerous, keep it supervised and don’t charge up overnight.

Good Battery Practice

Taking care of the battery is really important and just a few seconds of cleaning and good practice will likely extend it’s life considerably. Obviously try not to drop or physically damage/dent it as only a slight impact can affect the internal cells. When a battery has become too warm through overuse it will usually flash in a certain sequence – take a break and allow it time to cool before further use. Likewise store it carefully where it will not accidentally be firing in for example a trouser pocket – simply turn it off when not in use. Last but not least, every time the tank needs refilling with e-liquid inspect the battery and dab away leakage or residue too.

So What Battery For A Beginner?

A good bet is a battery with three preset voltages between 3-6V, same with the atomizers. There’s plenty of these kits available to choose from, and they are usually priced in the region of £30-£50 depending upon brand.

Hi. I’m Dan and I’ve been vaping since 2012. Prior to that, I was a 20-a-day smoker for over 10 years. I launched Vapor Cigarette in 2014 to review the limited range of vaping products available at the time, and to help other smokers who were thinking of switching to e cigarettes. Read more >